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and the Puzzle Box", "description": "Donatello sets out to do April a small favor and winds up in another dimension. Is the strange Turtle he meets the worst thing that's ever happened to him, or something else?\n\nMulti-chapter 2k3", "count": "28", "submission_left_submission_id": "1042539", "submission_left_file_name": "1437628_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_5.doc", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/1437/1437628_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_5.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/1437/1437628_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_5.jpg", "submission_left_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/1437/1437628_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_5.jpg", "submission_left_thumb_huge_x": "152", "submission_left_thumb_huge_y": "123", "submission_left_thumb_large_x": "152", "submission_left_thumb_large_y": "123", "submission_left_thumb_medium_x": "120", "submission_left_thumb_medium_y": "97", "submission_right_submission_id": "1045837", "submission_right_file_name": "1442470_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_7.doc", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_huge": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/huge/1442/1442470_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_7.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_large": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/large/1442/1442470_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_7.jpg", "submission_right_thumbnail_url_medium": "https://nl1.ib.metapix.net/thumbnails/medium/1442/1442470_hummerhouse_don_and_the_puzzle_box_part_7.jpg", "submission_right_thumb_huge_x": "257", "submission_right_thumb_huge_y": "300", "submission_right_thumb_large_x": "171", "submission_right_thumb_large_y": "200", "submission_right_thumb_medium_x": "103", "submission_right_thumb_medium_y": "120" } ], "description": "Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine. No money being made.\nWord Count: 100K+ multi-chapter 2k3\nSummary: Donatello sets out to do April a small favor and winds up in another dimension.\nRating will vary by chapter, from G to NC-17\n\n~~The amazing preview image created by @dragona15", "description_bbcode_parsed": "Disclaimer: The TMNT are not mine. No money being made.
Word Count: 100K+ multi-chapter 2k3
Summary: Donatello sets out to do April a small favor and winds up in another dimension.
Rating will vary by chapter, from G to NC-17

~~The amazing preview image created by \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdragona15\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t		\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdragona15\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
", "writing": "\tIt was one of those good news, bad news scenarios.\n\n\tThe good news was that though Don and Nicco had been thrown off course by their encounter with the baboon creatures, they were finally getting into more hilly terrain. The bad news was that their concern about water was being assuaged, but not in a comforting way.\n\n\tThe pair never did have a chance to dry off after their swim. The lake water quickly evaporated from their skin, but that moisture was replaced by sweat as they hiked through a sweltering jungle. Now dark clouds were gathering overhead and a rumble of thunder warned of an impending storm.\n\n\t“We are not in a great place to ride out a storm little ninja,” Nicco announced, though he didn’t sound all that alarmed.\n\n\t“Trees are not an option because of lightning,” Don said, feeling the need to express his complete understanding of their situation. “Water runoff and flash flooding off hills makes it too dangerous to take shelter against boulders or rocky outcroppings. If you have a ground sheet in your backpack we could burrow under a large bush and hold it over us to keep most of the rain off.”\n\n\t“While we hope none of those boars shows up with the same idea,” Nicco said.\n\n\tA boom of thunder accentuated their predicament and the pair paused in their climb to look around. They were on a steep incline, the landscape craggy and the ground underfoot less dirt and more rock. The lush jungle growth diminished the farther up they went; the bushes were sparse and the few trees were spindly.\n\n\tLightening flashed in the distance, its brilliant arc painting a jagged stripe across the dark clouds. A breeze had started up, desultory at first, but it was becoming more constant as the storm marched towards them.\n\n\t“I’m pretty sure most animals will have already sought shelter,” Don said, looking back the way they’d come. “We should probably get down from here quick.”\n\n\t“I’ve got a better idea,” Nicco said, his eyes focused on a dark spot in the side of the hill. “Climb fast Donatello.”\n\n\tHe was moving before Don had a chance to protest. Once more Don wished he had the wherewithal to separate from his traveling companion, but it was a fleeting thought as he rushed to catch up with the larger turtle.\n\n\t“Where are you going?” Don demanded, tired of being kept in the dark.\n\n\t“You see that?” Nicco pointed towards a faint outline in the rocks. “I think that’s a cave.”\n\n\tDon stared at it as they climbed and came to the same conclusion. Raindrops started to fall; large, heavy drops that were the precursor to a downpour.\n\n\t“I hope it isn’t already occupied,” Don muttered.\n\n\tNicco’s answering chuckle annoyed him; the guy never seemed to take hazards very seriously until they were right on top of them. It was almost like patrolling with Raph, except that Nicco handled each situation differently, much the way Leo would.\n\n\tSomething about that idea tickled Don’s brain, but there wasn’t time to grasp and explore the thought. The wind was picking up and the sky was nearly black now; thunder an almost continuous thing as it played its music for the lightning to dance by.\n\n\tDon had to scurry to keep up with Nicco; the larger turtle’s well-muscled legs propelling him upwards at a fast clip. Used to scaling tall buildings and climbing ladders, Don wasn’t at all winded, it was simply that Nicco had a height advantage.\n\n\tThey had nearly reached what was indeed a cave when the sky opened up on top of them. Within seconds they were soaked and with a final push, the pair dashed into the opening and out of the rain.\n\n\tThe cave was small and both Nicco and Don had to stoop over to stand in it. Don quickly dug his pencil flashlight from his belt and let the light play around the caves interior, happy to see they were alone. His inspection showed that the cave was only about twelve feet wide and less than twenty feet deep and the rock walls were damp.\n\n\t“At least we’re out of the rain,” Nicco said.\n\n\t“Not for long,” Don told him, slipping the flashlight back into his belt. “Let’s see if we can find some dry kindling out there so we can make a fire. If we move fast enough, we should be able to get some from under the bushes before the rain penetrates down to it.”\n\n\tWith a nod, Nicco darted back out into the downpour with Don. There was a lot of dead wood beneath the scraggly bushes that dotted the hillside and both gathered an armload of it fairly quickly.\n\n\tDon used the driest pieces to start their fire, using some crumpled notepaper and the matches he always stored in a little plastic box inside his belt. Once the fire was going strong, he added some of the damper pieces of kindling and before long they had a nice sized blaze.\n\n\tIt was perfect timing as far as Don was concerned; the inside of the cave was chilly and the fact that his gear was soaked didn’t help. He noticed that Nicco had already removed his belt, his only article of attire, and had set his hachiwaris nearby. With the fire crackling nicely, Don began to divest himself of his things, unaware of Nicco’s eyes voraciously following his movements.\n\n\tThe last thing he removed was his mask and it was then Don noticed that Nicco was watching him from his seat next to the fire. Suddenly self-conscious, Don slid his mask off and wrung the water out of it, then set it on a small boulder to dry with his other ‘clothes’.\n\n\t“My brother and I wear pants at home,” Nicco said when he saw Don looking at him. “We don’t really see a need for much else unless we’re going out somewhere. I prefer to wear nothing but my work belt when I travel through the artifact. I figured you wore the mask because you were trained as a ninja.”\n\n\t“We wear different colors,” Don explained, still unnerved by Nicco’s unwavering gaze. Taking a seat on the other side of the fire with his bo alongside him, Don added, “They were given to us a long time ago by someone very wise and they represent our personalities.”\n\n\t“Purple suits you,” Nicco said, tilting his head to study Don’s unmasked face. “I think I prefer you without the mask though.”\n\n\t“I’ll be sure and dress for your approval in the future,” Don said, a trifle more sarcastically than he’d meant to because Nicco was making him nervous.\n\n\t“Well in that case, don’t bother to wear anything,” Nicco responded with a grin.\n\n\tFlustered, Don changed the subject by asking, “Why don’t you dig out those berries you almost got us killed over?”\n\n\t“Food,” Nicco said agreeably, rubbing his hands together gleefully before yanking his backpack open.\n\n\tWith a flourish he handed several clusters of berries to Don and then dumped the rest of them onto his lap. They were somewhat crushed and bruised from the rough trip they’d experienced, but it didn’t detract from the flavor. Don was too hungry to care, happy to finally fill his stomach.\n\n\tDon had nearly finished his meal when he noticed he was feeling lightheaded and slightly giddy. Looking across at Nicco, he saw that the other turtle was sprawled out, one arm bracing his upper body off the ground as he held the berries over his mouth, plucking them from the cluster with his teeth.\n\n\tAn unfamiliar heat pooled in Don’s gut as his eyes raked over Nicco’s lounging form. The other turtle was a solid mass of muscle, every line in his body well-defined and boldly crisp. The veins on his biceps rippled as he lifted his arm, each movement carrying a supple fluidity that reminded Don of how Leo looked when he ran through katas.\n\n\tFeeling the other’s eyes on him, Nicco turned his head and met Don’s gaze, his own brilliant orbs carrying a challenge. For a moment Don’s inhibitions slipped and he didn’t look away, entranced by the similarity between Nicco’s expression and that of his brother Raph’s. The difference was that Raph had never looked at Don with such brazen appraisal.\n\n\tDon felt his tail twitch and stiffen as he continued to stare into Nicco’s eyes. When Nicco set his berries aside and began to slowly sit up, a shiver of anticipation ran down Don’s spine.\n\n\tThe remainder of Donatello’s final cluster of berries slipped from his fingers and landed on his thigh. Glancing down quickly, Don tried to grab the berries but his hand closed above them rather than on them. Frowning, Don stared at his hand and then closed it into a fist, opening it a split second later. It seemed to move in slow motion and Don blinked in understanding.\n\n\t“The berries have started to ferment,” Don said loudly, the volume of his voice surprising him. Lifting his head, Don saw that Nicco was up on one knee, his entire body turned towards the younger turtle. “I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling a little tipsy.”\n\n\tNicco licked his lower lip, his eyes fastened on Don’s mouth. “Feels good to relax,” he said, his voice a deep rumble.\n\n\tThe sound had Don’s heart beating faster and he struggled to control his reaction. With deliberate care, Don pushed his leftovers into the fire, where the sweet berries immediately crackled into a rainbow colored flame.\n\n\tDon could almost hear Nicco audibly swallow before he followed suit. They also tossed the stems from the empty clusters into the fire, wanting to leave nothing out that might attract unwanted visitors.\n\n\tGlancing up once more, Don saw that Nicco was staring into the fire, his brow furrowed. It was obvious he was deep in thought about something and Don remained silent, willing his body to settle down from its previous surge of adrenaline.\n\n\tA drop of water landed on Don’s shoulder and he jerked sideways, turning his head to look up. The moisture along the cave’s ceiling had increased, probably seepage from the heavy rain outside. Another drop landed on the fire and the sizzle caught Nicco’s attention as well.\n\n\tWhen Nicco looked up, Don said, “It looks like we’re going to have a damp night after all.”\n\n\t“Not necessarily,” Nicco said with a smug grin. \n\n\tUnhooking a rectangular shaped bundle from his backpack, Nicco stood up and placed it on the ground a little ways from the fire. Attaching a small co2 cartridge to it, Nicco spun the cylinder and with a hiss, an inflatable tent began to open.\n\n\tThe tent wasn’t large but it was big enough for two and Nicco obviously expected they would share it. Don’s mouth suddenly felt dry and he reached for the canteen, taking a good sized swallow before getting up.\n\n\tTrying to appear unperturbed, Don walked over to inspect the tent, sticking his head inside to look at the interior. In the meantime, Nicco had extracted a couple of inflatable pillows and a decent sized blanket from his backpack and kneeled next to Don’s legs so he could toss them inside the tent.\n\n\tCrawling in, Nicco spun around and crooked his finger at Don. “Come on in if you want to stay dry.”\n\n\tFor a moment Don hesitated and then realized that Nicco was staring expectantly at him. Taking a deep breath, Don tossed his bo staff in first and then stepped through the opening, instantly moving as far to one side of the tent as he could.\n\n\tNicco chuckled and tossed a pillow at Don’s head, which the ninja caught in mid-air. There was only a couple of feet of space separating them and Don could feel the warmth radiating off Nicco’s body.\n\n\tHe could also smell the other turtle; a musky, earthy aroma that was very heady. Don started to think the berries were still affecting him when it dawned on him that it was Nicco’s individual scent that was slightly intoxicating.\n\n\tNicco spread the blanket at their feet and placed his hachiwaris near the tent entrance. When he was satisfied they were close at hand he lay on his side facing Don. Setting the pillow down, Don caught the edge of the blanket and pulled it up before he too settled in for the night, his carapace firmly pressed against the tent wall.\n\n\t“I hope you don’t roll around too much in your sleep little ninja,” Nicco said in a softly teasing voice.\n\n\tHis breath ghosted over Don’s face, redolent of sweet berries and intense masculinity. Don found himself inhaling unconsciously and when he realized it, he flushed in embarrassment.\n\n\t“I can manage to stay on my side,” Don told him hastily. \n\n\t“Oh I don’t mind if you want to come over here and keep me warm,” Nicco said with a wink. “I just don’t want to get kicked while I’m trying to sleep.”\n\n\t“Likewise,” Don said tartly, hoping to put Nicco in his place.\n\n\tNicco’s lips widened in a grin, drawing Don’s eyes to them. “You want me to keep you warm?” he asked.\n\n\tDon blinked and jerked his eyes back up. “No!” he exclaimed louder than was necessary. “Th . . . that isn’t what I meant.”\n\n\t“Too bad,” Nicco’s eyes drifted shut. “Good-night little ninja. Sleep well.”\n\n\tWatching his tent mate for a few minutes, Don hoped he could manage to sleep at all.\n\nTBC…………….\n", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "\tIt was one of those good news, bad news scenarios.

\tThe good news was that though Don and Nicco had been thrown off course by their encounter with the baboon creatures, they were finally getting into more hilly terrain.  The bad news was that their concern about water was being assuaged, but not in a comforting way.

\tThe pair never did have a chance to dry off after their swim.  The lake water quickly evaporated from their skin, but that moisture was replaced by sweat as they hiked through a sweltering jungle.  Now dark clouds were gathering overhead and a rumble of thunder warned of an impending storm.

\t“We are not in a great place to ride out a storm little ninja,” Nicco announced, though he didn’t sound all that alarmed.

\t“Trees are not an option because of lightning,” Don said, feeling the need to express his complete understanding of their situation.  “Water runoff and flash flooding off hills makes it too dangerous to take shelter against boulders or rocky outcroppings.  If you have a ground sheet in your backpack we could burrow under a large bush and hold it over us to keep most of the rain off.”

\t“While we hope none of those boars shows up with the same idea,” Nicco said.

\tA boom of thunder accentuated their predicament and the pair paused in their climb to look around.  They were on a steep incline, the landscape craggy and the ground underfoot less dirt and more rock.  The lush jungle growth diminished the farther up they went; the bushes were sparse and the few trees were spindly.

\tLightening flashed in the distance, its brilliant arc painting a jagged stripe across the dark clouds.  A breeze had started up, desultory at first, but it was becoming more constant as the storm marched towards them.

\t“I’m pretty sure most animals will have already sought shelter,” Don said, looking back the way they’d come.  “We should probably get down from here quick.”

\t“I’ve got a better idea,” Nicco said, his eyes focused on a dark spot in the side of the hill.  “Climb fast Donatello.”

\tHe was moving before Don had a chance to protest.  Once more Don wished he had the wherewithal to separate from his traveling companion, but it was a fleeting thought as he rushed to catch up with the larger turtle.

\t“Where are you going?” Don demanded, tired of being kept in the dark.

\t“You see that?” Nicco pointed towards a faint outline in the rocks.  “I think that’s a cave.”

\tDon stared at it as they climbed and came to the same conclusion.  Raindrops started to fall; large, heavy drops that were the precursor to a downpour.

\t“I hope it isn’t already occupied,” Don muttered.

\tNicco’s answering chuckle annoyed him; the guy never seemed to take hazards very seriously until they were right on top of them.  It was almost like patrolling with Raph, except that Nicco handled each situation differently, much the way Leo would.

\tSomething about that idea tickled Don’s brain, but there wasn’t time to grasp and explore the thought.  The wind was picking up and the sky was nearly black now; thunder an almost continuous thing as it played its music for the lightning to dance by.

\tDon had to scurry to keep up with Nicco; the larger turtle’s well-muscled legs propelling him upwards at a fast clip.  Used to scaling tall buildings and climbing ladders, Don wasn’t at all winded, it was simply that Nicco had a height advantage.

\tThey had nearly reached what was indeed a cave when the sky opened up on top of them.  Within seconds they were soaked and with a final push, the pair dashed into the opening and out of the rain.

\tThe cave was small and both Nicco and Don had to stoop over to stand in it.  Don quickly dug his pencil flashlight from his belt and let the light play around the caves interior, happy to see they were alone.  His inspection showed that the cave was only about twelve feet wide and less than twenty feet deep and the rock walls were damp.

\t“At least we’re out of the rain,” Nicco said.

\t“Not for long,” Don told him, slipping the flashlight back into his belt.  “Let’s see if we can find some dry kindling out there so we can make a fire.  If we move fast enough, we should be able to get some from under the bushes before the rain penetrates down to it.”

\tWith a nod, Nicco darted back out into the downpour with Don.  There was a lot of dead wood beneath the scraggly bushes that dotted the hillside and both gathered an armload of it fairly quickly.

\tDon used the driest pieces to start their fire, using some crumpled notepaper and the matches he always stored in a little plastic box inside his belt.  Once the fire was going strong, he added some of the damper pieces of kindling and before long they had a nice sized blaze.

\tIt was perfect timing as far as Don was concerned; the inside of the cave was chilly and the fact that his gear was soaked didn’t help.  He noticed that Nicco had already removed his belt, his only article of attire, and had set his hachiwaris nearby.  With the fire crackling nicely, Don began to divest himself of his things, unaware of Nicco’s eyes voraciously following his movements.

\tThe last thing he removed was his mask and it was then Don noticed that Nicco was watching him from his seat next to the fire.  Suddenly self-conscious, Don slid his mask off and wrung the water out of it, then set it on a small boulder to dry with his other ‘clothes’.

\t“My brother and I wear pants at home,” Nicco said when he saw Don looking at him.  “We don’t really see a need for much else unless we’re going out somewhere.  I prefer to wear nothing but my work belt when I travel through the artifact.  I figured you wore the mask because you were trained as a ninja.”

\t“We wear different colors,” Don explained, still unnerved by Nicco’s unwavering gaze.  Taking a seat on the other side of the fire with his bo alongside him, Don added, “They were given to us a long time ago by someone very wise and they represent our personalities.”

\t“Purple suits you,” Nicco said, tilting his head to study Don’s unmasked face.  “I think I prefer you without the mask though.”

\t“I’ll be sure and dress for your approval in the future,” Don said, a trifle more sarcastically than he’d meant to because Nicco was making him nervous.

\t“Well in that case, don’t bother to wear anything,” Nicco responded with a grin.

\tFlustered, Don changed the subject by asking, “Why don’t you dig out those berries you almost got us killed over?”

\t“Food,” Nicco said agreeably, rubbing his hands together gleefully before yanking his backpack open.

\tWith a flourish he handed several clusters of berries to Don and then dumped the rest of them onto his lap.  They were somewhat crushed and bruised from the rough trip they’d experienced, but it didn’t detract from the flavor.  Don was too hungry to care, happy to finally fill his stomach.

\tDon had nearly finished his meal when he noticed he was feeling lightheaded and slightly giddy.  Looking across at Nicco, he saw that the other turtle was sprawled out, one arm bracing his upper body off the ground as he held the berries over his mouth, plucking them from the cluster with his teeth.

\tAn unfamiliar heat pooled in Don’s gut as his eyes raked over Nicco’s lounging form.  The other turtle was a solid mass of muscle, every line in his body well-defined and boldly crisp.  The veins on his biceps rippled as he lifted his arm, each movement carrying a supple fluidity that reminded Don of how Leo looked when he ran through katas.

\tFeeling the other’s eyes on him, Nicco turned his head and met Don’s gaze, his own brilliant orbs carrying a challenge.  For a moment Don’s inhibitions slipped and he didn’t look away, entranced by the similarity between Nicco’s expression and that of his brother Raph’s.  The difference was that Raph had never looked at Don with such brazen appraisal.

\tDon felt his tail twitch and stiffen as he continued to stare into Nicco’s eyes.  When Nicco set his berries aside and began to slowly sit up, a shiver of anticipation ran down Don’s spine.

\tThe remainder of Donatello’s final cluster of berries slipped from his fingers and landed on his thigh.  Glancing down quickly, Don tried to grab the berries but his hand closed above them rather than on them.  Frowning, Don stared at his hand and then closed it into a fist, opening it a split second later.  It seemed to move in slow motion and Don blinked in understanding.

\t“The berries have started to ferment,” Don said loudly, the volume of his voice surprising him.  Lifting his head, Don saw that Nicco was up on one knee, his entire body turned towards the younger turtle.  “I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling a little tipsy.”

\tNicco licked his lower lip, his eyes fastened on Don’s mouth.  “Feels good to relax,” he said, his voice a deep rumble.

\tThe sound had Don’s heart beating faster and he struggled to control his reaction.  With deliberate care, Don pushed his leftovers into the fire, where the sweet berries immediately crackled into a rainbow colored flame.

\tDon could almost hear Nicco audibly swallow before he followed suit.  They also tossed the stems from the empty clusters into the fire, wanting to leave nothing out that might attract unwanted visitors.

\tGlancing up once more, Don saw that Nicco was staring into the fire, his brow furrowed.  It was obvious he was deep in thought about something and Don remained silent, willing his body to settle down from its previous surge of adrenaline.

\tA drop of water landed on Don’s shoulder and he jerked sideways, turning his head to look up.  The moisture along the cave’s ceiling had increased, probably seepage from the heavy rain outside.  Another drop landed on the fire and the sizzle caught Nicco’s attention as well.

\tWhen Nicco looked up, Don said, “It looks like we’re going to have a damp night after all.”

\t“Not necessarily,” Nicco said with a smug grin.  

\tUnhooking a rectangular shaped bundle from his backpack, Nicco stood up and placed it on the ground a little ways from the fire.  Attaching a small co2 cartridge to it, Nicco spun the cylinder and with a hiss, an inflatable tent began to open.

\tThe tent wasn’t large but it was big enough for two and Nicco obviously expected they would share it.  Don’s mouth suddenly felt dry and he reached for the canteen, taking a good sized swallow before getting up.

\tTrying to appear unperturbed, Don walked over to inspect the tent, sticking his head inside to look at the interior.  In the meantime, Nicco had extracted a couple of inflatable pillows and a decent sized blanket from his backpack and kneeled next to Don’s legs so he could toss them inside the tent.

\tCrawling in, Nicco spun around and crooked his finger at Don.  “Come on in if you want to stay dry.”

\tFor a moment Don hesitated and then realized that Nicco was staring expectantly at him.  Taking a deep breath, Don tossed his bo staff in first and then stepped through the opening, instantly moving as far to one side of the tent as he could.

\tNicco chuckled and tossed a pillow at Don’s head, which the ninja caught in mid-air.  There was only a couple of feet of space separating them and Don could feel the warmth radiating off Nicco’s body.

\tHe could also smell the other turtle; a musky, earthy aroma that was very heady.  Don started to think the berries were still affecting him when it dawned on him that it was Nicco’s individual scent that was slightly intoxicating.

\tNicco spread the blanket at their feet and placed his hachiwaris near the tent entrance.  When he was satisfied they were close at hand he lay on his side facing Don.  Setting the pillow down, Don caught the edge of the blanket and pulled it up before he too settled in for the night, his carapace firmly pressed against the tent wall.

\t“I hope you don’t roll around too much in your sleep little ninja,” Nicco said in a softly teasing voice.

\tHis breath ghosted over Don’s face, redolent of sweet berries and intense masculinity.  Don found himself inhaling unconsciously and when he realized it, he flushed in embarrassment.

\t“I can manage to stay on my side,” Don told him hastily.  

\t“Oh I don’t mind if you want to come over here and keep me warm,” Nicco said with a wink.  “I just don’t want to get kicked while I’m trying to sleep.”

\t“Likewise,” Don said tartly, hoping to put Nicco in his place.

\tNicco’s lips widened in a grin, drawing Don’s eyes to them.  “You want me to keep you warm?” he asked.

\tDon blinked and jerked his eyes back up.  “No!” he exclaimed louder than was necessary.  “Th . . . that isn’t what I meant.”

\t“Too bad,” Nicco’s eyes drifted shut.  “Good-night little ninja.  Sleep well.”

\tWatching his tent mate for a few minutes, Don hoped he could manage to sleep at all.

TBC…………….
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